There are many different ways that marketers can build their ad strategies on Meta and their social media marketing does not have to be an island.
In fact, social media strategy ideally falls within a broader programmatic strategy, taking advantage of better targeting. Meta can and should be a part of a marketer’s programmatic approach.
Marketers in the USA will spend more than $57 billion on digital display advertising in 2024 alone, with over half of this spent on social media – on track with the spending from recent years.
In 2019, 56.3% of the $57 billion spent on programmatic advertising went to social media networks, and in 2021, social media spending increased to make up 57.6% of total programmatic ad spend. With this growth set to continue, it’s crucial that those marketers not already doing so shift their programmatic strategy to include social.
On Facebook specifically, programmatic ads are popular among programmatic advertisers. According to Media Radar, of the 17,400 companies that advertised on Facebook in April of 2021, only 543 purchased direct digital ad space; the remainder opted for a programmatic approach.
Meta already makes it incredibly easy to include their ads in your programmatic approach; Facebook ads purchased directly from Facebook’s ad inventory are delivered programmatically. But Facebook ads can also be bought through a separate DSP or journey advertising platform, making it easier to include Meta ads as part of a larger, more holistic programmatic strategy.
Ad strategies on Meta with a DSP
Many marketers don’t feel a need to use a demand-side platform to buy Meta ads. Facebook Ads Manager acts as its own DSP, letting marketers buy programmatic ad space on Facebook. However, by using a DSP or journey advertising platform, advertisers can better include social as part of a broader and more holistic programmatic strategy.
Using a separate DSP or journey advertising platform (like illumin) lets marketers approach their social strategy with greater context – including it within the same customer journey as their other ad platforms and formats. This allows for better targeting and broader reach.
Including social in a well-rounded, programmatic journey advertising strategy enables marketers to precisely target personas based on a wide range of characteristics and online behaviors. In addition to targeting those personas based on their online activity, marketers can adjust their social strategy to fit within a broader customer journey.
Adding journey advertising to your Meta media mix
Journey advertising is a transformational shift in perspective. It is a way of thinking about the marketing funnel to target customers with personalized messages at every stage of their research and buying journey.
From creating awareness to building loyalty, journey advertising lets marketing speak to customers more clearly and effectively depending on how much they know about the brand and what they’re looking for in a purchase.
Marketers know that customers are heavily impacted by the messaging they receive and this is just as true online as it is in other media. The thoughts and opinions of audience members are highly affected by the order in which they receive communications and the forms of messaging they receive. Meta advertising needs to consider this to have a meaningful impact.
In his article for Advertising Week, Seraj Bharwani, illumin’s Chief Strategy Officer, says to“Focus on the context (what consumers read, listen, watch, and share) and assess top-of-mind needs and passions.”
This mindset has the power to transform your social strategy. Social media is about communicating with target audiences on their own turf, and that means fully understanding their interests and how they’re looking to engage.
By including Meta in a journey advertising strategy, marketers can ensure that their social media footprint has the most impact possible.
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